Ethical Thought of Kwasi Wiredu and Kwame Gyekye II

Abstract

Wiredu and Gyekye both stress that the function of ethics in the Akan society is to bring harmony, stability, prosperity, welfare, unity and solidarity. For the Akan, therefore, what is morally good is that which brings human well-being. They demystified morality by dissociating it from any supernaturalistic sources and gave it a humanistic character. But I argue that insofar as it is unanimously believed by Africans that the Supreme Being is the creator of human beings and the universe, and also that He is believed to be morally impeccable, then Africans logically derive their innate religious inclinations from God. Admittedly, society plays a role in the origination of morality. I argue, therefore, that morality is contingent upon religion.